Live from Music Row Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed country music singer-songwriters Gary Chapman, Alexis Wilkins, and Chris Wallin in studio to talk about the importance of maintaining the camaraderie within the songwriter community for up and coming musicians.
Leahy: I am delighted to note that this is the initial broadcast of the Anti-Woke Music Hour on The Tennessee Star Report. A the weekly hourly segment brought to you by Baste Records on the web at basterecords.com.
And we have three great musical artists here in studio with us. Chris Wallin, who is a famous singer-songwriter holding over from the previous hour. Welcome, Chris.
Wallin: Thank you. Thanks for having me.
Leahy: Happy to have you here. And the very well-known singer-songwriter who wrote my favorite song in the world, Tennessee Christmas, Gary Chapman. Good morning, Gary.
Chapman: Good morning. Can I tell you what an absolute honor it is to be here on this inaugural hour of the Anti-Woke world?
Leahy: The Anti-Woke Music.
Chapman: This is a great moment in history. I was here.
Leahy: And joining us, the rising star of country music, Alexis Wilkins. Good morning, Alexis.
Wilkins: Good morning. I’m happy to be here with you all.
Leahy: Now, you and Chris, Alexis, are going to go off for America Fest. Gary, I’m sure they’re going to send a plane for you.
Chapman: I’m fine with that. That’s fine.
Leahy: They’re going to send a plane for you to have you come out.
Chapman: That’s actually in my rider. I appreciate it.
Leahy: It’s in your contract. It’s basically a big event going on in Phoenix, Arizona, and it’s got all of the stars of the conservative firmament and a lot of authentic country music performers there as well. It’ll be Steven K. Bannon will be there.
It will be there. Laura Ingraham, Charlie Kirk, Mike Lindell, and the usual suspects. And Alexis Wilkins you’ll be there. Tell us a little bit about what you’ll be doing at America Fest.
Wilkins: I will be there. I will be there, I think all days from the 17th to 20th, and I will be hanging out and saying hi to people and going to the different events. I think that there’s a dinner that they’re doing that’s like Gatsby something or the other, but I will be there.
Leahy: Now, you’ve been performing for many years, and tell us a little bit about where people can go and learn about your music Alexis.
Wilkins: You can go to my website, which is Alexiswilkins.com, or my Truth Social account, which is also Alexis Wilkins, or my Instagram, which is Alexis Wilkins.
Leahy: So you’re an authentic country music performer. You go to the classic country music and also you’re a constitutional conservative. And wait for it, putting this together is quite uncommon, a graduate of Belmont.
Wilkins: Yes.
Leahy: How did you survive Belmont?
Wilkins: The trifecta. It’s funny because I started school in 2016 at the as we all know, the very height of the very exciting election that was going on, which, you know, people were obviously elevated about that. And I did business in political science, so was within the throes of it. But it was more entertaining.
When you have your values and you have the things that you believe, you’re going to learn education from school, you’re going to learn business. You’re going to go to the classes that you signed up to go to. But I believe that if you’re steadfast in the things that you believe, you’re not going to really change that much.
You’re just going to learn a lot about people, learn a lot about working with people you like and agree with, and learn a lot about working with people you maybe don’t agree with, but still like. And Belmont was no different. I had a good experience.
Leahy: We’re glad to have you here in studio. And then Gary Chapman.
Chapman: I did not go to Belmont.
Leahy: The shy and retiring Gary Chapman.
Wallin: Thank you, Chris.
Chapman: Chris gave me a round of applause.
Leahy: And Gary, you and Chris have known each other for a long time.
Chapman: A very long time.
Leahy: And you’ve been part of the really terrific community of singer-songwriters here in Nashville. Tell us how important that community, specifically in Nashville, is to upcoming musicians.
Chapman: I think the only way I can really voice its importance is that if it goes away, everything’s gone. Everything’s gone. The music that comes out of the camaraderie, the relationships, the genuine care that we have for each other is at the core of all the things we believe. Whether it’s any conservative-minded thing or just a family-driven thing, a God-driven thing, it all gets back to the same space. We got to care about each other.
Listen to today’s show highlights, including this interview:
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Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.
Photo “Gary Chapman” by Gary Chapman Singer/Songwriter.
